Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 38.djvu/315

 Prior to the Louisiana Purchase, the settlers on the Mississippi River who were harassed by the Spaniards, petitioned Congress, saying if Congress refuses us protection; if it forsakes us, we will adopt the measures which our safety requires, even if they endanger the peace of the Union and our connection with the other States. No protection—no allegiance.

You see, the right to secede was advocated by the North and West, and threats to avail themselves of this right were made by Northern legislatures, leading statesmen and petitions to Congress.

Through fifty years of our history this discussion continued, and the eloquence of Webster and the logic of Calhoun were exhausted while no satisfactory conclusion was reached.

Finally, when the Southern States, for grievances that are fresh in our memories, and far outweighed all the fancied evils that New England suffered, or all the trials the Mississippi Valley settlers bore, withdrew from the Union, and reasserted their sovereignty, they were coerced by Federal powers, and falsely represented, not only to the world, but to our own children, as traitors and rebels.

The question of the justice of our cause having been so completely established, why should our people admit, as we know they sometimes do, that it was best after all that we failed in the attempt to establish a separate government? Does the fact of failure prove that we were wrong and our enemies right in the contention? Was Providence on their side, and were we fighting against the fiat of the Almighty? If so, why? Were religion and character on the side of the North?

If America had to suffer the penalty of violated law, were we of the South sinners above all others? In the conduct of the war, which side exhibited most of the Christian and least of the brutal character? To ask these questions is but to answer them.

In the "Confederate Secession," a work by an Englishman, the author draws a deadly parallel between the methods and aims of the two people, and sums up the matter with these significant words: "All the good qualities were on one side and all the bad on the other."

Let us discard the old superstition that heaven is revealed in